


The Sun Shining Through

by queenietheband



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: M/M, Mike Wheeler Loves Will Byers, Post-Canon, Protective Mike Wheeler, Sad Will Byers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-11-14 05:11:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18046127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenietheband/pseuds/queenietheband
Summary: One-shot of a cute moment between Mike and Will where Will has side effects from the possession of the Mindflayer and Mike is a good bf :)





	The Sun Shining Through

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys!!! I'm working on another story at the moment and it's taking a lot longer than expected so here's this. Enjoy!

With the Mind Flayer gone, it almost seemed like everyone was stuck in a weird limbo.

Their threat of danger was gone, leaving those who knew the truth having to return to a normal life. Life went on, the continous drone of an everyday routine taking back over.

The government had decided to move their institution to another town, and graduation rolled around, sending kids both into the real world and sending the others into high school. Celebrations took place, of course, but the knowledge that they were likely only celebrating because they had survived was molded into their minds. It was almost like the Mindflayer wanted them to move on, to keep its memory as a hidden secret so it could strike again.

It seemed easy in retrospect to forget about the monster.

It was harder to forget about the damage it left behind.

“Hey, anyone seen Will today?”

Mike wrung his hands together nervously as his group of friends huddled together at the end of the day, standing outside by the flagpole. As Mike looked at each of their clueless faces, he felt his chest tighten with panic until Dustin spoke up.

“I talked to him on the walkie this morning. Said he was having a gray day so I told him I'd make sure he gets all the work he missed.”

Dustin's tone was somber and as the words left his mouth, the somber mood seemed to shift through all of them. Gray days were bad. Gray days were when Will couldn't face reality. Gray days meant Will didn't remember anything, not even himself.

Memory Loss. The doctors had told him that it was a side effect of being possessed for so long, almost as if his body was still attached as the host. Whenever Will had a gray day, it was like his friends were stuck in this weird cycle too, unsure of how to help.

“I'll get his homework to him.” Mike gestured towards Dustin until he handed the stack of papers over. Mike hated the fact that since Dustin was the only one closest enough to Will to get a signal through on his supercom, he was the one that he had to rely on the most.

Although their phones were all available, no one dared dial Will. Phones were a touchy subject with Will and no one blamed him.

The friends parted ways as the final group of students flooded out of the building, calling goodbyes and sending well wishes to Will, each hopping on their respective bikes before Mike himself peeled out of the school parking lot, pedaling as fast as he could go.

He raced down the side streets, winding through until he made it to views of the open field and careened through, his mind hyperfocusing on one thought.

Will's memory loss always seemed to get worse the older he got. It started off with him forgetting simple things, like taking out the trash or what day of the week it was. He used to laugh it off, calling it a way for him to get to out of chores. As the years went by, he started forgetting bigger things until finally, he started forgetting people.

Mike remember the first time it had happened. He had slept over that night and woke up in the morning to terrified screaming. Will had seemed lost and no matter how many times his mom or Mike tried to calm him down, his screams of distress seemed to get louder. Whenever either tried to reach for him, Will sidled away with fear and trepidation seeping through his sobs.

It had taken a few minutes for Joyce and Mike to realize that he didn't know who they were, but it had taken a full two hours before Will had actually remembered them. His screams were replaced with sobs that stuck with Mike, his apologies being muffled as his mother had clutched him to her chest.  

It was the worst feeling in the world to realize that Will had been scared of him, even if it was for only a short amount of time.

Mike hoped he never had to experience that again.

His bike crunched across the gravel on the Byers’ driveway as he rode all the way to the front porch of the house, where he propped his bike against the lone chair sitting at the side. The yard was empty of any car, meaning that both Jonathan and Joyce had left for the day and probably wouldn't be back until the night. Mike tapped slowly on the door, just loud enough that it wouldn't startle Will.

After a few minutes the door slowly creaked open and Mike's heart fluttered.

Will stood on the other side, a blanket draped across his shoulders, soft sniffles coming from him as he blinked his bleary eyes up at Mike. He didn't say anything and with the lack of response, no smile or anything, Mike knew it was truly a gray day.

“Hey, Will. It's Mike, your friend. I just wanted to drop off the work you missed from school today.”

Will stared at him closely his eyes shifting back and forth, which Mike knew that it meant he was trying to place how he knew him. Finally recognition dawned over his features and his previously weary hazel eyes flashed with a brightness, if only for a second.

“Mike. Yeah, come in.”

Mike slipped his shoes off and hung up his coat as soon as he entered, watching Will out of he corner of his eye as the boy dragged himself to the couch and flopped on it. He wrapped himself back up into a cocoon of blankets and stared at the ceiling, his eyes devoid of emotion.

Will may have barely known who Mike was at that moment, but he still didn't run away screaming when Mike sat on the opposite end of the couch and grabbed the TV remote.

“You want to watch Back to the Future? It's one of your favorite’s.”

Will’s empty gaze shifted to the tv and his eyes bore into the stack of dvds sitting atop it until he nodded in agreement before Mike got up to put it on.

It only took a few seconds but the feeling of Will's eyes staring at Mike's back was nerve-wracking enough that Mike fumbled with the movie case.

As the title card rolled onto the screen, Mike settled back into the couch, trying to keep to his side as he felt the couch dip when Will sat up. Their silence was content and it went on for a few minutes until Will piped up.

“Uh, Mike?”

“Yeah?”

“You're… you're my best friend right?”

“And I always will be.”

A small smile graced Will's features, making his sallow face brighten up a little. Mike's heart finally lifted. He kept staring straight ahead at the tv, but he could feel Will's gaze boring into him.

“And… we're…. more than friends, right?” He spoke slowly, carefully laying his words out.

Mike muted the movie and turned so he was facing Will. “Yeah we are. Some may even call us boyfriends,” he teased.

With a sigh, Will scooted a bit closer, although he still kept a space between them. He was tugging at a loose string on the blanket, his eyebrows drawn together in frustration. When he spoke, his tone was dark, his words just as biting.

“I hate this. I hate asking questions like this. I know the answer deep down, it's just like… my mind blocked it from me.”

Mike leaned closer, his hand resting tentatively against Will's shoulder. “It's okay. I know you hate it, you tell me every time. At least it only lasts for a little while, right?”

Will's head snapped up, his doe eyes searching across Mike's face in panic. “What if…. What if one day it becomes permanent? I feel myself constantly forgetting things and it only gets worse. What if I forget everyone one day and I never get my memory back?”

As quick as lightning, Mike had reached out and enveloped Will in a hug, holding him close against his chest until he could feel the thudding of his heart against his own.

“No matter what memories you have, you're still going to be Will. None of us want to lose you, especially me, so even if it takes us having to make new memories every day, we're always going to stick by you. _I'm_ always going to stick by you.”

Will's sniffles against Mike's neck softly subsided until only their mingled breathing was heard through the silent house.

Suddenly, a gentle laugh rose from Will's throat.

“You know, I might not remember everything about you right now, but I do remember that I love you.”

Mike chuckled in response and pressed a kiss against Will's soft hair.

“I remember everything about you and I know for a fact that I love you too.”

 


End file.
